Adjustable folded garment support for luggage cases



March 19, 1957 'Q A, V|EHMANN ETAL 2,785,778

Y ADJUSTABLE FOLDED GARMENT SUPPORT FOR LUGGAGE CASES vMarfil 19, 1957G. A. VIEHMANN EI'AL ADJUSTABLE FoLDED GARMENT SUPPORT FOR LUGGAGE:cAsEs zshets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1956 i INVENToRs; lewaw'wrzfsADJUSTABLE FOLDED GARMENT SUPPORT FOR Y LUGGAGE CASES George A.Viehmann, New Providence, and Charles C. Harrison, Glen Ridge, N. J.,assignors to Newark Rivet Works, Newark, N. J.

Application January 30, 1956, Serial No. 562,098

3 Claims. (Cl. 19d-41) This invention relates to improved means forsupporting folded garments within a luggage case.

This invention has for an object to provide an improved folded garmentsupport for use in a luggage case or the like in association withgarment hanger means, whereby to equip a compartment of such case or thelike for the non-shifting and non-wrinkling carriage of one or more menssuits or womens garments.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel framestructure for disposition within the fold of garments suspended byhanger means in a compartment of a luggage case or the like, whereby thefolded garments will be supportedly suspended by a frame member, whenthe case or the like is hand carried, against shifting and wrinklingdisplacement from smoothly folded condition; means being provided forpivotally mounting the frame member within said compartment of the caseor the like, so as to permit out swinging thereof from the latter,including means for adjusting the loperative position of the framemember within said compartment, and means to lock the frame member inselectively adjusted position lwithin said compartment, whereby toaccommodate the supporting position of the frame member relative tofolded garments of different sizes, or to a plurality of foldedgarments.

The above and other objects will become apparent from a reading of thefollowing description of this invention in connection with theaccompanying drawings which show an illustrative embodiment thereof, inwhich drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of a luggage case in open condition, acompartment of which is equipped with the novel adjustable foldedgarment supporting frame structure of this invention, which framestructure cooperates with garment hanger means mounted in saidcompartment.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken on line 2-2 inFig. l, and showing the folded garment supporting frame as adjusted tosupport a single relatively long coat of a mans or womans suit; Fig. 3vis a fragmentary view, similar to that of Flg.- 2, but showing thefolded garment supporting frame as' adjusted to supf port a singlerelatively short coat of a mans or .womans 'suit; and Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the garment supporting frame as adjusted to supporta plurality of fold- `ed suit coats.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional View,

taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 2, but drawn on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts, the reference character 1i? indicates onesection of aluggage case and 11 the other section thereof which isconnected with section 16 by suitable hinge means 12, whereby saidsections can be closed together, and releasably secured in closedcondition by suitable fastener catches 13, all as familiar to the art.One of said sections, e. g. section 10, is provided with a carrierhandle 14 mounted on its external side or front wall 15.

United States Patent() 2,785,778 'Patented Mar. 19, 19,57

As shown, the section 10 of the luggage case provides a compartmentwithin which may be packed the folded garments desired to be carriedtherein. Fixed centrally upon the inner face of the internal side orback wall 16 of the section 10 is a bracket member 17, in connectionwith which one or more garment hangers 18 can be detachably coupled forextension therefrom into said compartment.

The garment fold supporting frame structure comprises a pair ofstationary hanger pieces 20 which are respectively atixed to thecompartment end walls of section 10 of the case in offset relationthereto, and so `as to be adjacently spaced in relation to the internalside or back wall 16 of said compartment, whereby to extend downwardlyinto the interior of said compartment perpendicular to the planethereof. Generally, as shown, the open tops of the sections of the caseare bounded by marginal metallic framing 21, having inwardly projectingportions 22 parallel to the planes of said sections. In such type ofcase construction, the hanger pieces 20 are provided, at their upperends, with angular anchor lugs 23 to seat on said projecting portions22, so that said hanger pieces depend therefrom, and so that the bodiesthereof are offset from the adjacent end walls of the compartment inwhich they are located. Said anchor lugs 23 are aixed to said projectingportions 22 of avcase section framing by fastening bolts 24 or otherequivalent fastening means. in other types of case construction, e. g.frameless types, the hanger pieces 2t) can be axed by their upper endportions to the compartment end walls in any suitable manner, wherebythe dependent bodies thereof Aare offset relative to said end walls. Thedependent bodies of the hanger pieces 26 are provided with longitudinalslots 25, which are disposed thereby perpendicular to the plane of thecompartment in which they are located.

The frame member of the garment fold supporting frame structure, whichis generally indicated by the reference character 26, comprises a pairof side bars 27, the inner end portions 28 of which are provided withlongitudinal slots 29 of substantial length. The main bodies of saidside bars Z7 are connected with said slotted inner end portions 28 byinwardly offsetting bends 2S. Aixed to and for extension between theouter extremities of the side bars 27 is an outer cross-bar 30.Preferably, although not essentially, additional like cross-bars 31 areaixed to and between said side bars 27 in suitably spaced apartrelation, thus providing a frame member of panel like form.

The respective slotted inner end portions 2S of the side bars 27 of theframe member 26 are disposed across the slotted bodies of the respectivehanger pieces 20, and are pivotally and adjustably connected with thelatter by combined pivoting and locking means. Each pivoting and lockingmeans comprises a pivot and lock bolt 'arranged to extend throughintersecting portions of the slots '25 and 29 of a hanger piece 20 andthe inner end portion 28 of an engaging side bar 27 (see Fig. 5). Thebolt 32 is provided with a head 33 to abut the back of the hanger piece20, and engaged on the free end of said bolt 32, which projects from theengaging side bar end portion'ZS, is a thumb nut 34. Preferably a washer35, through which the bolt 32 extends, is interposed between the hangerpiece 2i) and said side bar end portion 28, and another like washer 36is interposed between the latter and the thumb nut 34.

In the use and operation of the above described folded garmentsupporting means of this invention, the luggage case or the like beingopened to give access to the section 10 thereof that provides thecompartment in which garments are to be packed, the thumb nuts 34 beingloosened, the frame member 26 is out swung from said i 3 e compartmentto the position thereof shown by broken lines in Fig. 2.

Assuming it is desired e. g. to pack a mans snit, thehanger 18 isdetached' from the bracketmeniber i7, and the coat (together with thesvest if included) is draped upon the hanger in well known manner, andthe trousers'may also 'be folded over the cross-bar of said hanger-18,or otherwise packed into the compartment. YThe coat being draped on thehanger 18, the hanger therewith is then returned to attached relation tothe bracket member 17, whereupon the skirts of the coat are smoothlyextended and the coat sleeves smoothly Yfolded into place (see brokenline representation Yof the the frame member 26 is shifted outwardlytoward the external side or front wall 15 of the compartment, by slidingthe slotted inner end portions 23 of the side bars thereof over thebolts 32, thus increasing the elective length of the frame member foraccommodation of such long Vcoat (see Fig. 2). lf the coat is ofcomparatively shorter size, the frame member Y2( is shifted .inwardlytoward the internal or back wall 16 of the compartment, thus decreasingits eifective length in accommodation to'such shorter coat (see 1Fig.3). if Va single suit is packed, the frame Vmember 25 is lowered,consonant to the bulk thereof, by sliding the bolts 32 downwardly in theslotted hanger pieces 2t) (see Figs. 2 and 3). lf, however, more thanone suit is packed, the frame member 26 is raised by V.sliding the bolts32 upwardly in the slottedV hanger pieces 20, to accommodate the levelof said frame member to theadditional bulk of the folded garments (seeFig. 4).

From the above, it will noWbe understood that the folded garmentsupportingrmeans of this invention is easily, quickly and universallyadjustable, both as toits eiective length and the operative levelthereof, as may be required to accommodate its supporting relation tothe packed garments. Once a desired adjustment of the frame member 26 isattained, the same can be locked,

against pivotal movement and against displacement from its adjustedposition, by tightening home the thumb nuts v 35s so as to clamp theside bars 27 to the hanger pieces 20.

The luggage case or the like may be provided with a hinged partitionmember 49 that can be swung down over the packed section 1G, andsuitably secured in closed con-V dition thereover, thus separating thegarment packed com-V partment of the case or the like4 from the othercase section 11 and its contents.

AfterY the case or the like is packed and closed, when the same `iscarried by the handle member 14 in suspen- Ysion therefrom, the garmentfold engaging cross-bar 30 of the frame member 26 will be uppermost, andwill function to suspendingly support the folded garments againstshifting and wrinkling displacement from their smoothly arrangedcondition.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

- ,1. ln a luggage case or the like having a section thereof,

Y Y L 4 fold thereof when the case or the like is carried, said meanscomprising a frame member having side bars provided with longitudinallyslotted inner end portions, longitudinally slottedhanger pieces aiiixedto oppositeV end walls of the case compartment in oifset relationthereto and in adjacently spaced relation to the back wall of said casecompartment and perpendicular to the plane of said case compartment, andcombined pivotingand locking means cooperative with correspondingintersecting slotted hanger pieces and slotted inner end portions of theframe member side bars, whereby lto conne/ct said frame member in bothpivotal and adjustable relationl to said hanger pieces for extensiontherefrom toward the 2. VThe combination according to' claim 1wh`ereintheV combined pivoting and locking means comprises bolts to respectivelyengage through intersecting slotted hanger pieces and'slotted inner endportions ofthe frame member Vside bars, and thumb nuts on said boltsmanipulatable to Y `releasably clamp the frame member side bars to thehanger pieces against. movement of the former relative to the latter.

3.. In a luggage case or the like having a section thereof Vto provideafolded Ygarment containing compartment equipped with garment hangermeans dependent from the back wall of said compartment, means adapted tobe disposed within the fold of garments carried yby said hanger means,whereby to suspend the folded garments by Ythe `fold thereof, said meanscomprising hanger pieces Vaffixed to opposite end walls of the casecompartment in offset relation thereto, whereby to dependintermediatethe open top and bottom Wall of the case compartment V'perpendiculartothe plane of the latter and adjacently parallel to the compartmentback `wall, the dependent body Yportions of said hanger pieces beingprovided with vertically disposed slots, a frame member including sidebars, inner end portions of respective side bars being adapted to engageacross said respective hangerpieces and having horizontal slotsto'intersect the slots ot' the latter, headed bolts extending throughthe intersecting slots of interengaged hanger pieces.VY and inner endportions of the frame side members, and thumb nuts on said bolts, allwhereby said frame member is pivotally supported by said vhanger piecesand adjustably shiftable relative thereto both horizontally andvertically, whereby to both predetermine the effective length of theframe member and the level ofV operative disposition of said framemember iwithin and parallel to the planeV of the case compartment,

said thumb nuts being manipulatable to releasably clamp the frame memberto the hanger pieces, whereby to secure the former `against displacementfrom av selected adjusted Voperative position thereof within the casecompartment.

Referenc'esrcited in the 'fue of this patent UNITED STATES VPATENTS Y2,209,171. Pmann :any 23, Y 2,254,543Y Pantin sept. 2, 1941 2,269,252VChesnut Jan. 6, 1942 2,419,362 Y Miller Apr. 22,1947

